What are the benefits of homeschooling?

Question

I want to start homeschooling but my parents won't let me. They think it's not good for me socially. Could you please tell me some facts about homeschooling that I could use to persuasive my parents into letting me be homeschooled?

I'm going into high school, so how does high school homeschooling work?

Answer 1

Benefits?  



Many people don't consider home schooling thier children, because they are afraid thier children will miss out on socialization. According to the U.S. Department of Education, it is estimated that 1.7 percent of all students participate in a home schooling program. A greater number of parents are turning to home schooling as an option for educating their children.

This concept once only included the idea of parents assuming the responsibility of educating their own children. Today, the modern home school has evolved to include the use of computers and other technically-advanced equipment. Although home schooling has the predominant form of education throughout history, many people consider it to be a new concept.

Why are parents choosing home schooling more and more? There are many benefits. You can customize your curriculum (just as k12 does). Home schooling enables students to participate in a curriculum that is tailored to their needs. They can focus on specific areas of interest or other areas that require extra attention. Your chouces are many. You can choose a free online charter school, private online schools, an online curriculum or text book based curriculum.

You can use different learning methods, so students don't have to sit at a desk all day. They might go on a field trip to a historical place, explore nature at a park, or visit a science camp. There are many free sites where you can learn about the things that you see on these kinds of field trips too. E Field Trips and National Park Curriculum is available for free to everyone.

Most home school based curriculum is self-paced, so if students require extra help on an assignment or want additional challenges, they can learn as fast or as slow as they choose. In a traditional school setting , the teacher can't always slow down and go over an area that a few students may not understand as well as the rest of the class. This is how so many kids today "get lost" and are left behind. A situation like this is easily avoided at home.

Having a flexible schedule is a great benefit. Home schooling provides students with more options than a traditional classroom. Students can set their own schedule and learn at any time. If they want to take a test at night, they have the freedom to do so. They are learning on their own terms. Many sites are free offering help for children in all subjects through free worksheets, games and activities.

There are fewer social distractions for children at home. Home schooling allows students to learn without the worry or interference of social distractions. They are not faced with the social pressures of regular school. They can focus on their work and not what another kid in the class might be saying or doing. You don't have to worry about bad influences that your child might have at school (drugs, alcohol, the wrong crowd etc). If you teach your child a certain set of morals and values, they will not learn something entirely different as they may have in a traditional school setting.

Home schooling enables students to get one-on-one attention from their teacher. Whether they are learning from a parent or online teacher, they can get immediate attention for all of their educational needs.

A home schooling program can provide students with choices. It gives them an alternative to the traditional classroom. Whether they choose home schooling for academic, safety or social reasons, they can be in charge of their education. It enables them to create an individualized learning experience.

For many children this is definitely a good option. A student needs to be self disciplined enough to do the school work daily. If a student is dedicated to being home schooled and can appreciate it, they can be successful !

Answer 2

I was home schooled some during high school. Your parents are right about the social aspects. I wouldn't recommend it. There's other disadvantages too. You miss out on a lot of things you'll regret later.

There are some advantages such as being able to learn at your own pace. I think the quality of education (I had a private teacher) was higher. Another advantage is it gives you the ability to think more freely. You're not programmed into the social norms (not totally a good thing, but not all bad) as much nor influenced by the public school's political or religious agendas.

It's safer both from crime and illness as you're not exposed to as many people.

I still would not recommend it unless you have a lot of other activities that will expose you to socialization with people of your own age. More than even what you learn in highschool books, social skills learned in highschool will help you further in life. What happens when you go to college and you're behind your peers socially?

Answer 3

im homeschooled and let me tell you,

it is THE best thing that has ever happened to me.

you don't have the pressure to fit in , but you can always see your friends during the weekends and after school.

it gives you more time.

you dont have to wake up at 6 to get ready for school

[i usually wake up around 8]

im actually going into 9th grade homeschooling [high school too!]

you don't have to do homework for hours every night,

basically you get to do it wherever you want.

you don't have to ask to go to the bathroom,

and you can do your work anywhere you want.

in the car,

your bedroom,

kitchen table,

but if you are getting homeschooled get a nice big desk to keep everything their.

and some days you can actually skip.

i have deffinitely learned much in about a year than i have my whole public school life.

which was 7 years of public school.

and to get extra credits for high school

volunteer at an animal shelter or something.

if you need more information email me, i don't bite!

~katie.

EDIT: and the person above me spelled 'their' like 'thier'

LOL.

Answer 4

i fully believe homeschooling is pathetic and useless. you won't be able to do your college work and usually if you are homeschooled you don't get a diploma. even if you get a home school diploma it usually doesn't work for college and then you have to get your ged like a high school drop out. homeschooling doesn't help you learn at all.

everyone i know who was homeschooled is socially enept.

edit: well its called opinions. i know a bunch of people who were homeschooled and they lack the social skills to lead a normal life. everyone one of those people i know who were homeschooled have had to get their ged to get into college. i really think people shouldn't be homeschooled. i think its pathetic and lazy. its just my opinion.

it is a free country. and its also an open forum.

by the way there are other options other than home schooling and public school.

Answer 5

Find out specifically what they fear for you socially. Just hear them out and write it all down. Say, "Thanks," and then go do your research.

What research?

All the things available for you to do with other people where you live. Start by finding as many homeschool groups as you can--check websites, Yahoo Groups, Facebook, everything. Ask about a list of activities that typically go on. Then go look in any type of community listings you have--through your city, recreation centres, churches, libraries, anything and everything you have. Make sure to have in that list things you'd like to actually do: classes, lessons, volunteering, etc.

In addition to that, find information online about the social benefits of homeschooling. There's lots of stuff and the most compelling things, you could print off and give them to your parents along with your list of all the activities you could find.

How does homeschooling work? Depends on where you live and what you want to do. My gut says your parents aren't really interested in creating a program for you and probably won't let you develop your own program. You might consider looking into a free online public or charter school program (not knowing where you live, I can't suggest anything at this point), or you'll have to go with a private program or a purchased "curriculum". Of course, are your parents willing to pay what it would cost? That's another issue.

Answer 6

Homeschoolers tend to be better socialized than their traditionally schooled peers.

In no other setting than public school will you be put into a forced socialization setting with ONLY people who were born the same year as you were, and living in roughly the same neighborhood.  Generally, you do not go to school to socialize either.  

What do you do now, on evenings, weekends, holidays, summer break?  School is not the only source for friends.  My homeschooled children get together regularly with other homeschoolers.  They are involved in several extracurricular activities with other children-homeschooled and not.  They have family, friends, neighbors.  They also socialize in the "real world" setting-with the baby at the park, the elderly lady next to us at the grocery store, the mailman.  

The purpose of socialization is to pass on ideals and beliefs.  When a child socializes with only same age peers, they are learning to be an adult from others who are still learning.  Y ou would not expect a 9th grader that is still learning it to teach you Algebra 1, so why would you expect them to be be good teachers of social skills?  

Of course, socializing with peers is still important, and you will have a lot more free time if you homeschool because you will not be overloaded with homework, and your school day will probably be a lot shorter without redundant tasks such as roll call.

The laws regarding homeschooling vary from state to state, you can find out the requirements where you live at http://www.HSLDA.org .  There are an endless variety of options regarding curriculum and programs, so it is impossible for us to say how high school homeschooling works other than you meet the laws in your state.  As a high school student, you can do a lot of your work independently, with your parent acting more as facilitator than teacher.  Some programs have teachers available in case you need extra help.  A lot of homeschoolers also take college courses for dual credit, and complete high school with some college credits already accrued.

I hope this helps and wish you the best!

EDITED TO ADD: After reading the prior two answers, I wanted to say that there is NOTHING available to a public school student that is not available to a homeschooler.  Nothing you would want, anyway.  Our homeschool association holds graduation ceremonies so you can "walk".  I have heard of homeschool proms, we do yearbooks.  My children are not high school age yet, but I know several who have completed homeschool and are doing very well at college.  One is there on scholarship.  

A diploma-whether issued by a public school, private school or homeschool, is merely a decoration.  It says you completed a program.  Much more important are your ACT/SAT scores, your transcripts, and other things you can put on your resume.  And about those ACT/SAT scores-studies show that homeschoolers usually score higher than their traditionally schooled peers.  Getting into college is NOT a problem.

There are also coop type activities, where you can go to classes with other homeschoolers.  Say one parent is fluent in French-she can teach that, while another parent that has good math skills can teach/tutor a class in math.  It is not like a traditional school-they would meet once a week rather than daily.

Feel free to contact me via my profile if you want to discuss this any more!